Department of Health and Social Care

Care Homes: Visits

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of care homes which do not offer residents full visitation rights.

Helen Whately: In the week ending 14 August 2023, 99.1% (13,451) of care homes in England reported that they were able to accommodate residents receiving visitors (in or out of the care home and in all circumstances). A further 0.4% (55) of care homes responded they were able to accommodate visits in exceptional circumstances.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of existing guidance on the use of face masks in (a) hospitals and (b) care homes and (c) other health settings.

Maria Caulfield: The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM), published in April 2022, ensures a consistent approach to infection prevention and control, including the use of facemasks, across the National Health Service. The NIPCM is mandatory across NHS England or settings where NHS England services are delivered, and is complimented by pathogen/disease specific guidance produced by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). NHS England continually reviews the evidence/data published by international/national sources to inform the NIPCM. The NHS takes advice and guidance from regulatory bodies, such as the Health and Safety Executive, and public health organisations, such as UKHSA, to ensure that the NIPCM recommendations are appropriate to the system and aligned with the relevant pathogen specific guidance, legislation, and mandatory requirements for England. The NIPCM is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/national-infection-prevention-and-control-manual-nipcm-for-england/ In all non-NHS care settings, the content of the manual is considered best practice. In care homes, it is important that good infection prevention and control (IPC) practice is followed. IPC measures, including face masks, are important to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases by providing protection against transmission. The current guidance for face masks and other PPE allows for a risk-based approach and includes guidance on how providers can ensure that any measures put in place are effective, proportionate and appropriate to protect those most at risk of severe outcomes from respiratory infections. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infection-prevention-and-control-in-adult-social-care-covid-19-supplement/covid-19-supplement-to-the-infection-prevention-and-control-resource-for-adult-social-care

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to issue updated public health advice to reduce the infection rate of covid-19 variants.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is issuing proportionate reminders of its COVID-19 advice through media, social media and stakeholder channels. There is currently no change to the wider public health or sector specific guidance, including guidance for workplaces, prisons and adult social care settings, which is published on GOV.UK and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidanceFor immunosuppressed people we have published updated guidance in line with the recent announcement about bringing forward this year’s autumn flu and COVID-19 vaccine programme. This guidance is published on GOV.UK, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-riskWe continue to review our guidance as information about COVID-19 variants becomes available.

Hospitals: Discharges

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce unsafe early discharges from hospitals.

Helen Whately: It is important that people are discharged safely from hospital, when they are clinically ready, to the most appropriate place, with timely and appropriate recovery support if needed. From the outset of a patient’s hospital admission it is the role of the multi-disciplinary team leading the care, plus the patient, their family and carers, to set the clinical criteria for discharge, and the expected date of discharge should be set by the consultant at the first review. Clinicians decide the point when a patient is medically ready for discharge, and the discharge is carried out once suitable onward care is arranged as needed by the care transfer hub.

Hospitals: Television

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the implications for its polices of NHS Trusts charging patients in hospital for television access.

Will Quince: No recent assessment has been made. National Health Service providers are locally responsible for the provision of bedside television and similar services, including the charging for them. If patients do not wish to or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television, they should still be able to watch the free to view television via their own devices and local hospital Wi-Fi or in the hospital day rooms or communal areas.

NHS: Buildings

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the functional resilience of the NHS estate.

Will Quince: National Health Service trust boards are responsible for planning for a range of operational scenarios and potential events, with these plans regularly being tested with NHS England. The functional resilience of the estate is part of this standard business continuity planning.

Department of Health and Social Care: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which Minister in their Department is responsible for overseeing work on long-term strategic challenges; and how many officials in their Department (a) undertake horizon scanning work and (b) focus on delivering long-term priorities.

Will Quince: The Liaison Committee recently launched an inquiry into select committee scrutiny of strategic thinking across Whitehall. The Government will be providing written evidence to this in due course. Each Minister is responsible for overseeing work on long term strategy in each of their portfolios, with the Secretary of State maintaining overall responsibility for the work of the Department. Officials carry out horizon scanning and delivering long-term priorities in a range of roles across the department.

Department of Health and Social Care: Data Protection

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to schedule 12 of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (No. 2) Bill, whether (a) the Phoenix Partnership Ltd., (b) Palantir Foundry and (c) any other IT provider has been identified by (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies as (A) not complying with information standards as described in proposed section 251ZC and (B) not making the required adjustments to comply with those standards as described in proposed section 251ZB  between 1 April 2015 and 11 September 2023.

Will Quince: The Department and its agencies have not identified any provider as not complying with information standards as described in proposed section 251ZC.